EXPERT OPINION
A more connected nation
Not too long ago , localised Edge data centres were an ideal solution to companies based in major cities . The close proximity of Edge centres to the end-user provides the ability to increase the speed of operations , which is especially important in industries such as financial trading and gaming where reduced traffic and quick response is key .
However , with digital gaming increasingly becoming the norm , the number of games being downloaded onto the cloud is set to grow exponentially , with the cloud gaming market expected to grow by 25 % by 2025 . In this way , even the few remaining Edge-favouring verticals may start to see the emergence of a more symbiotic relationship between the Edge and the cloud .
The recent surge of employees working from home , often in more rural areas and second-tier towns , means that the need for connectivity is no longer exclusive to large cities . Instead , there is a new demand for flexibility in terms of where and when employees can work and connect .
The pandemic has not only affected how employees work , but also the priorities of companies at large – scalability being a new must-have element of many companies ’ long-term business plans .
Edge data centres lack this ability to be quickly adapted , leaving businesses who continue to rely purely on Edge , vulnerable to paying for unneeded space and staff in an economic downturn , and equally sub-optimal reactivity in the face of opportunity .
The end of an era
This shift in business priorities was not necessarily caused by the pandemic ,
THE NEED FOR CLOSE- PROXIMITY DATA CENTRES WAS ALREADY ON THE DECLINE – THE PANDEMIC HAS MERELY SPED UP THE PROCESS . www . intelligentdatacentres . com
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